


The Power of the Spiral: The Labyrinth

by EthanCharim



Series: Power of the Spiral [1]
Category: Original Work, Plague Inc. (Video Game)
Genre: Aliens, Government Conspiracy, Natural Disasters, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plague, Science Fiction, Supernatural Elements, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann References, Uzumaki references, spirals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-05-19 19:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19363054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EthanCharim/pseuds/EthanCharim
Summary: There is a mysterious power in the shape of the spiral. To some, they represent new life, and the potential for growth without limitation. To others, they represent chaos, a turbulent descent into madness.This is based off a Plague Inc Custom Scenario of the same name, Power of the Spiral, created by indigofenix. I highly suggest checking it out, and the guide that goes along with it.This is also my first work, and like indigofenix's first scenario, is highly ambitious. I do hope I don't miss too much.I will likely post one chapter a day, and keep them rather short. Let's just say we're on casual for the first few ones.EDIT: Screw once a day, my inspiration doesn't last that long. I'll post as I feel like it.





	1. The Discovery

Despite the high quality tent made for the expedition, it was still immensely hot in them, resting in deserts of Saudi Arabia. As such, it was a good idea to get up and into the cave early. Gene's rest was interrupted abruptly by their leader, Marion Spencer. "Tepplin, UP! It's six already!" Rolling over with a groan, he said, "Five more minutes, mom..."  
A sigh was all he got, before he sat up, rubbing his eye. Gene was a young man, late twenties, yet already well-known for his immense bioengineering expertise. Marion was a dark-skinned woman, built like a powerhouse, and with the strength to back it up as well. They were selected as members of this expedition for their skills, Marion in her leadership and Gene in his intellect. They had no clue what they were going in to, after all.  
It began as a simple scan of the land. When they picked up a strange signature, an expedition was formed to investigate. This investigation led them to the cave, near which they'd set up camp for the night, and hunkered down for a night of rest.  
They entered after they'd all had some pre-cooked meals and packed up their stuff, neatly packed into their bags. The jeeps they'd rode in stayed outside, keeping less valueable items. It was unlikely, but they could be stolen, and they didn't want to loose too much. They went deeper and deeper inside, guided by flashlights. It seemed like just a normal cave at first, until, they reached something. Something so small, but with so much importance.  
It was in the center of a half-dome cave. No jagged rocks- Only smooth stone, engraved with spirals. In the center was a sculpture, stretching from floor to ceiling. It was shaped like DNA, twisting with ladder-like bars between. More interesting was the material- It wasn't stone, but a glowing, crystalline substance. Of course, nobody approached immediately- It could be radioactive. Yet, no- There was only background radiation. One member went up, and gingerly touched it. Nothing- It just seemed to be a luminescent material.  
They photographed all they could about this area. From the sculpture, to the spirals, to the entrance into this ancient shrine. Yet, they lacked one thing; A reason. Why was this built? How was it built? When was it built? All questions, they'd have to learn in time.  
After they'd done all they could, they exited the cave, discussing what they'd seen. Gene was staying out of it- Something seemed foreboding about it to him. He was snapped out of his thoughts when another expedition member nudged him in the shoulder. "Whaddya think, Gene? Ancient Saudi Arabian spiral cult?" He looked at the person for a few moments, before saying, "Dunno, Morgana. S'a good guess."  
Morgana was only a nickname. His real name was Morgan, and he was one of Gene's best friends. Back in school, they'd studied together, and theorized about rumors together, debating the truth to any of them. They stayed together after, Morgan going into physics while Gene followed biology.  
Yet, none of them knew a very important fact. The fact that, while they were in the cave, they'd contracted something. All of them, one by one, had fallen victim to it. And even less did they know of the monumental impacts of it...

SOL 3 MANIFESTING STAGE 1 SPIRAL ACTIVITY.  
ACTIVATING PASSIVE SCANNER PRIME.  
ENGAGING CHRONAL NEXUS DETECTION MODE.  
SEEKING ENDOCHRONIC RIFT... DONE.  
IDENTIFYING SPATIAL NEXUS OF SPIRAL ACTIVITY. SEEKING INITIAL SPIRAL HOST. SCANNING FOR EPIGENETIC SIGNALS... DONE.  
SPIRAL HOST IDENTIFIED. NAME: GENE TEPPLIN.

They came out to find the jeeps intact and alright. Nobody had found them, which was to be expected, as this was out in the middle of nowhere. Thus, the drive back to their impromptu headquarters came, to report their findings. They mostly went quiet during the drive- The engines were way too damn loud for conversation.  
They were greeted by government officials. Not odd, this was of immense interest to them. Neither was them being brought into a conference room to debrief. What was, was the first question: "Was there anything related to spirals there?"  
Glances were exchanged, and then Gene spoke. "...Yeah, a lot. We found a shrine, a huge spiral carved into the floor and ceiling, and a DNA helix sculpture made of an odd, glowing crystalline substance in the center. No radio-"  
He found himself cut off. "We need you to hand over all your findings. For all our safety. And, you must stay silent about them. If any of you refuse, you are to be detained indefinitely. Do I make myself clear?"  
This was all a surprise, of course. How did they know? Why was this a matter of safety? Yet, slowly, they did hand over all their evidence- Their photographs, their readings, their journal entries. Everything. On top of that, they had to sign a contract; A simple one. They were not to speak of their findings, in return for being paid handsomely. They signed, of course. What was keeping a secret, for this amount of money?  
"Thank you for your cooperation." The official said after, standing up. "You may all return to your normal lives now."  
The man moved to the door, but then looked back. "One more thing. For those who didn't read it all, you also are not allowed to discuss between each other. Not me, not each other, no one. Now, have a good day."  
With that, all the others left. The expedition mates were left speechless- What WAS that? Why would anyone care so much about a little expedition? Yet, they could do no less than think. The contract forbid it.  
And the punishment for breaking the terms? Prison, for life. At minimum.  
Gene couldn't wrap his head around it all. What was that about? Why did the government want to keep them from talking about the spiral shrine, much less revisiting it?  
Something to ponder on his trip home. For a week, maybe... He was gonna be rich when he got home, he might as well just take a week long trip to the Carribean after... Yeah...  
He looked to the sky, watching the clouds. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. And... Was it just him, or was that one cloud slightly spiral shaped..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The warnings will come later on. Lots of this will be explained in further chapters, don't worry your spinning little head!


	2. The Phenomenon

Days passed, and the contract appeared to be effective. To the general public, it was revealed that all was found was a rather large deposit of radioactive material, which gave the odd reading. None of the expedition members spoke up nor were questioned, and thus, the lie worked. None suspected a thing, and everyone's lives went on as normal. Gene returned to his biotech research, Morgan returned to his research into quantum physics, and the other members returned to their daily lives.  
But, one day, Gene noticed something. A viral video of livestock in a spiral formation had came up on his news feed. What concerned him more was the location: Saudi Arabia. The same exact place that he'd been to a month prior. He checked his news feed, specifically, ones related to Saudi Arabia. One after another, he read them, his panic coming true one by one. 'Mass migrations of snails'... 'Dozens of crop spirals; Are aliens real?'... 'Birds flying in spirals; Why're their heads spinning?'...  
He got out of his chair, and paced. What could this mean..? This can't be a coincidence... All these spiral events, and the government person asking about spirals... It can't be a coincidence. But, how can this be possible?  
Gene ran outside, and looked up. Indeed- While subtle, there were spirals, seemingly carved, into the shapes of several clouds. The grass- He saw that many blades were curled into spiral-looking shapes. And, the bugs- Several of the bugs flying about the summer grass were spiralling.  
He ran back inside, shoving his head into his hands. Okay, okay, so there's spiral-related stuff going on. It's just small, right? No big deal? But he couldn't shake it- Why were they happening? And moreso, why around here? It's not around Saudi Arabia, so-  
The realization hit him like a brick. HE was in Saudi Arabia. Whatever... Seemingly magical power was there, it travelled with him back here to America.  
He rushed back inside, slamming his door. No- No no no, this isn't real. He has to get OUT of here. He packed up quickly, getting all of the essentials, clothing, and washing supplies, while leaving out anything spiral shaped or with a spiral symbol. And most importantly, his research. Then he got in his car, and drove. Where he was driving, he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from anyone and where he had brought this curse. He didn't want it to end up hurting anyone- However unlikely that was.  
He stopped somewhere in Alaska, deciding this was far enough away. He'd crossed the continental United States and a good portion of Canada, making pit stops along the way, but keeping his interaction to a minimum. He'd also decided on a house, far enough away from the nearest town as to not inflict the curse's effects on them, but still close enough so that he could go and get food and whatnot when he needed. He calculated he could live a good forty years out here and research, and another twenty if he stopped it then, living off the massive cash infusion from the contract.  
That's how it seemed his life would be. Of course, he kept in contact with Morgan, who, while being worried, took his lie that he needed a 'change of scenery'. They chatted rather often, and it seemed neither of them saw any spiral phenomenon. At least, neither said anything. Gene was sure, as he'd looked for any spirals around him, and saw none.  
Yet, it didn't dissuade his fear. He refused to even read articles about the spiral or even think about the shape, going as far as to use an add-on to hide any articles containing the keywords 'spiral' or 'helix' or 'whirl'. It was some kind of spirophobia, he thought. Yet, that was just dumb- How could you be scared of a shape? He was just being paranoid, and he'd just let it pass and return to normal life. His work was going fantastically as well. He was making quite the headway in his designs, and if he had the tech, could likely make some of this work. Theory now, testing later, though. He decided to call Morgan one day. Not a normal call, of course, but a video call. The two grinned upon seeing each other. "Yo, Morgana. How's it been going?" "Pretty sweet, G. It's great to hear from you. You been doing alright?" Gene nodded. "Yeah. Been continuing my work, s'been going a lot better." They went back and forth for this for quite some time. It started early in the day, so they took each other with them through their daily routine. It wasn't until after dinner until the inevitable happened. "Gene, what's the real reason you left?" He was frozen in fear for several moments. Yet, he felt... Less scared. "...I... I thought I was cursed. I saw all the s... Spiral stuff happening, and-" He was cut off by laughter. "Oh my GOD G, you thought you were CURSED? C'mon man, that's crazy!" He paused. "...I don't think it's you who's the cause, even if it is a curse..." This, of course, granted him confusion. "What do you mean?" Everything was revealed at that point. In several other countries, spiral related phenomenon had taken place. More severe things, such as whirlwinds and whirlpools, had either began or become much more common in certain areas. And, moreso, there were people who were developing spiral changes to their bodies- Marks and warts bearing spiral symbols. Eyes gaining a spiraled iris. Warts forming with a spiral shape to them. And on top of that, people became obsessed with spirals, filling their houses with objects shaped like them, and some even making art based on the symbol. And that seemed to be the tip of the iceberg- Where these people were, the spiral phenomenon was more common. And, it seemed to spread like a disease. "Like a disease, Gene. Think about it- Ancient shrine goes undiscovered, the people who discover it start having weird stuff happen around them and related weird stuff happen to their bodies. Do you know what that might mean?" Gene did indeed know what he was going for. An undiscovered pathogen, present only in that shrine, that infected them and was given the means to spread. "But, how does the..?" As if reading his mind after he trailed off, Morgan said, "I have no idea. The weirdness just seems to be related somehow... We have no idea how. We only know it's happening, and it's spreading." Gene sat back and put his head in his hands. He was sure that the shrine was the beginning, but what was the connection? How was this... Disease, causing all this phenomena? And more importantly, what could they do to stop it?


	3. The Conspiracy

Gene stretched with a yawn, just waking up after an expected night of terrible sleep. He'd gotten nothing but the such after his conversation with Morgan, but it wasn't like it would affect his new work. Researching into this strange, spiral phenomenon. Though, right now, he needed to go restock on food. He wasn't as anxious about going out now- There had been clear reports of occurrences out in the town he shopped in, so it wouldn't matter if he went in more. It especially wouldn't help to ask people to stay away from each other, given the seeming coincidental nature of the occurrences. He'd just be seen as a madman, and that'd make everything worse. Thus, he got ready to go, getting dressed, checking the time- Damn, noon already?- And opening the door to head out. That's when he found the package.  
It was quite unassuming. Rather flat, UPS box. What was odd was the lack of return address, and lack of sender name. Whoever sent this clearly wanted to make sure nobody knew where it'd come from. But who'd send it? And moreover, who'd even know where he was? He should be assumed to have disappeared.  
It was too small to be a bomb, he thought. So he brought it inside, left it on the table to deal with when he got back. His trip out was as uneventful as expected, yet the package's appearance still nagged on his mind. Who was it from? What was going to be within it? Who knew where he had gone? The more time he spent not opening it, the more anxious he got to open it.  
His groceries put away, he finally got to the mysterious box, tearing the tape holding it closed. Inside, there were two folders. One, with 'classified' over it in big, red letters. Odd. Who'd send him classified information..? He opened it up, and quickly understood why.  
TOP SECRET: THE SPIRAL ENTITY  
The Spiral Source was discovered in a cave deep beneath Saudi Arabia. From what we can tell, it is a three-dimensional imprint of a multidimensional entity. Not just the sculpture within, but its energy signatures also resemble the helical structure of DNA. It may be the 'seed' that created life on Earth.  
And that was only the beginning. Theories put up, information from a 'contact', and pictures. He recognized some as the ones they'd taken on their expedition, but others were different. Detailed sketches of the engravings, charts of readings, the findings of sample analyses... Everything anyone would ever want to know about this shrine. But even with all this information, one question was left unanswered; Why? Why was all of this sent to him?  
It seemed he wouldn't have to look too far to find out. Under the folder, there was an envelope addressed to him. It too had no return address or anything of the sort, just who it was for. Gene opened it, and read:  
"Dear Gene Teppelin,  
We hope you have read through the documents we have sent you first. If not, please do so before you read any further.  
We have sent you this information because we wish for you to join our cause. We call ourselves the Spiral Coalition, and we are made up of many of the most brilliant men and women alive today. Our contact has said you are a person of particular interest, and so, we wished to recruit you."  
Gene was already quite intrigued. Contact? Spiral Coalition? What, is this some conspiracy he's being invited into? Yet, he read on:  
"We leave you a return address on the back of this paper. Send the documents back if you do not wish to accept, but know that if any information contained is leaked to the public, you will be terminated. If you wish to join, simply go to the address yourself. If you do neither before the end of the month, you shall be terminated.  
Sincerely,  
The Spiral Coalition."  
Gene needed a moment after reading all this. He'd be terminated? Why was this all so important as to threaten death if he let it slip into the public? Did they NOT want this spiral phenomenon stopped for some reason? And who was this contact they mentioned in both the letter and their documents?  
Gene sighed and rubbed his temples. He knew what he was going to do- There was no question about it. He needed answers desperately, and if anyone had them, the Coalition would. He looked at the address- Somewhere in Nevada? Sure, he can do that. He'd set out in two days, that should be enough time...  
He was about to head to sleep the next day when Morgan called him. "G! Did you get one too?" "Huh? An invite with documents? Yeah, I'm heading out tomorrow..." "WHAT?! You did and you didn't tell me?! I'm booking one tomorrow, I'm going to meet you there!" "Alright, alright, Morgana. I'm heading to bed, I'll see you then..."  
Two night's rests, one check of his stuff, two drives, and one flight later, Gene woke up to an airhorn. He immediately regretted giving Morgan even the hotel's address, much more the room he was in and a key. He sighed and rubbed an eye wearily. "Seriously..? I liked my sleep, you know..."  
Morgan just laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but it's nearly noon already, lazy ass. Get up and have some breakfast."  
Gene got up with a quiet exasperated huff. He went through his routine, and went out to get some breakfast with Morgan. While uneventful, there was nigh-tangible tension. Everything that happened since they found the Spiral Shrine, was leading up to now. Today, they were going to head to the Spiral Coalition's address.  
It was a rather plain-looking building, seeming to be just a normal little market that catered to travelers needing supplies on the way to and from their destinations. When they entered, though, they found themselves greeted by a familiar face. Marion Spencer  
"Morning, Gene, Morgan. Been a while."  
Gene was naturally taken aback, but shook his head. "Marion? You here for the same stuff as us?"  
"No. I'm here to bring you to our local rep. Come." Without another word, she turned, heading for the back.  
Gene and Morgan exchanged curious looks, before falling into step behind her. The back looked like what a normal store should, until they were brought to a certain shelf. It was broken, or maybe not fully assembled, the large metal spokes the only thing in their right place. The boards that should hold product were on the ground, seeming as if they'd fallen. Before he was about to say something, Gene saw what gave away what it actually was. A spiral etched into the ground. Marion pressed her thumb against it, and a moment later, it lit up green, and next to them, another shelf was lifted fully off the ground, a stairway leading underground being revealed. "Come on, don't just stand there like I stripped for you."  
This snapped them out of the awestruck daze. Shaking their heads, Morgan with some not so inconspicuous flustering, they went down the stairway in a single file. An actual button was at the bottom of the stairs, which Marion, the rear of the trio, pressed. The stairs receded back down with the same silence as they'd risen. "Go on. The room's ahead."  
The room was more of a kind of sports bar, except with no bar and circular. The room was a good twenty meters across, the roof was domed, a spiral etched into it, similar to the one of the shrine, yet unlike it, it didn't extend all the way down, not even past the walls. It was obvious why, considering the tech present. On the wall opposite them, there were screens neatly arranged in a grid, all blank. Against the wall to the left, was a set of computer banks. The other side, a miniature kitchen. And in the very center, a round table, with seats on only one side, enough for five people. "Welcome to our hidey-hole. There's several of these positioned around the world. in strategic places."  
Gene looked over, confused. "There's MORE of these? I get them, but- Alright, why here in Nevada?"  
A laugh was the immediate reply. "Really? When's the last time you've heard of something big happening in NEVADA of all places? It's a very low profile place, and that's the entire reason."  
Seeing Gene was satisfied with the answer, Marion went to a computer. Logging in, she accessed a kind of private communications platform, sending out a message and getting a replybefore turning to them. "We have a good fifteen minutes. In the meantime, I'm getting a bagel."  
Fifteen minutes passed in nothing but silence, as the three former squad mates caught up. Marion said herself she'd been in on this since the beginning, and only truly got into it after their discovery. Yet she revealed little else, saying most of what she knew was still classified but likely would be able to be released soon. Then, one screen blinked to life, displaying a message. 'TALK REQUESTED. ACCEPT IMMEDIATELY.'  
Marion scrambled back over to the computer, the program she'd used changed. This was the first time Gene had seen her do so, despite the time they'd spent on the expedition. She'd usually been calm and collected, not scrambling to pick up a call. Maybe that's just how punctual the Coalition was.  
A few moments later, the message was replaced with a man's face. Gene couldn't recognize him, nor did he think he could. The Spiral Syndrome was well with this man, and he didn't hesitate to show it. His tongue lolling out of his mouth and curling into a spiral, his super curly hair, his spiral-iris eyes. "Hello, children! Marion, I see you've brought Gene and Morgan! Excellent! I do hope this means you are joining our cause?"  
Morgan was the first to recover from the man's appearance, clearing his throat before answering. "Y- yeah. Who, are you though?"  
The man laughed, clearly in good spirit. "I am the main founder of the Coalition! Many refer to me as the Spiral Master, due to my thorough infliction, kurukurukuru!"  
An odd giggle of a laugh, Gene thought, before asking- "Then... What is your end goal?"  
The Master's smile fell, becoming deadly serious. "To bring about the Fusion of Souls, and perfect humanity. To bring them into one gestalt consciousness, a race that can protect instead of control."  
They exchanged disbelieving glances, then back to him. Morgan seemed to decide on a test with his next question. "Really? Then how is the syndrome causing the phenomenon?"  
The man's smile returned with a laugh. "Kurukurukuru, it's not causing it! It's simply triggering it! Everything is connected to the spiral, from the smallest atoms to the stars above! The Syndrome merely activates the surroundings, making them become spirals! It's quite simple, truly!"  
They looked at each other again, then back. "And... How do you know this?"  
"Our contact, kurukurukuru! They've been quite reliable, yet, even we have no idea as to who they are..."  
Gene sighed. "...Alright, I... I don't think I have a choice, but I'm in. I don't have any other questions, besides what I might need to do..."  
The Master grinned at him. "Simple, dear boy! Help spread the beauty of the Spiral! Stop the silly research to stop it! But most importantly-"  
"Never, let anything we've said here get to the public."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, finally got through this. A good month or so late, but who really cares about this stupid thing? It's just me trying to express my view of this amazing scenario.


	4. The Intensification

It was hard to think. Gene struggled with it. Everything kept swirling, clouding his mind... It almost hurt. But he had to endure. The Spiral was growing, but... Killing. More people died every day, from phenomenon nobody could explain. Giant tornadoes spawning from nowhere, storms ravaging the coasts... Travelling by air or sea was out of the question for anyone, anywhere. Only by spiral, spiral, spiral... Land. By land. It becomes harder and harder to think as time goes on, harder to find a solution. What solution would there be? Besides, maybe, adapting? That's what some people are doing... Creating spiral-shaped buildings, where the Spiral had devastated. But, it's probably only a temporary solution... There's another issue.  
It started with navigational issues. People found themselves turned around after going only the same way. Then, GPS stopped being accurate, in certain areas more damaged by the Spiral first. Then, they simply seemed to... Disappear. Where they were, people simply found themselves going the other way or just around it, never able to eventually find their way there. And it was spreading, too, as the damage grew. Neighboring areas to these areas, areas which he'd nicknamed 'The Disappeared', began to contract the same phenomenon. Like a disease spreading outward, yet... Physical.  
Links were already found, between spirals and the spread of the plague contracted from that cave. When people thought about spirals, the disease multiplied and spread. It was simple association, from that point, and they were in too dire a situation not too accept it. Yet... It's not enough. They had to make major breakthroughs, and very quickly, or else what remained of humanity would be just destroyed all the same...  
Gene sighed, and got up. He'd talk to Morgan, but he wasn't here, and long-range communication was becoming unreliable. He hadn't heard from Marion in quite some time, after she went out on an 'investigation into the disasters'. He wasn't alone in his lab, allocated a while back to research into the Spiral Gene, the name they'd given to the disease spreading through people. Other scientists, cooks, errand runners... Things to assist in the research. He saw his condition reflected, people falling over from dizziness, a fellow muttering the word 'spiral' to himself, a secretary drawing an ever-expanding hypnosis circle... The list went on. He couldn't give up yet, though; People were still alive, and they had more support than ever before. The threat of annihilation truly inspires people...  
His thoughts were again interrupted by a thought of the shape, suddenly finding himself admiring it in his own mind. He shook his head in frustration, as he entered the food court present in the building. It was rather quaint, a few tables and a counter to put in orders. Several pieces of modern art sat on it, yet all shared the same ever-present shape. He'd seen menus infected with it, even, the text strung around in a depreciating orbit to the center... Not here, though, Gene was happy to assure himself. Not yet. A simple sandwich with chips, a wait, and he found his heart sinking. The sandwich was fine, it was the chips! Intentionally grooved with spirals... He shuddered, stomaching them regardless along with the sandwich. He shuddered at the prospect of sandwiches being made with rolls... And yet, he found it appealing. He couldn't decide whether he was enthralled or disgusted by the idea, an odd thing. He can only think it's some conflicted messages the disease is sending out, something he'll have to look into.   
His gaze went out the window as he headed back to work. Clouds, twirling in the air. Birds, spinning almost aimlessly. Buildings, swirling up to the sky. Everything infected by the shape. The people, too... Cases of scoliosis skyrocketed. Eyes with a spiral became more and more common. Some people even became hunched, some of those hunch-backed people even growing snail-like shells... The effects just kept spiraling downward. Or upward. Or left, right, any direction the majestic spiral chose... Gene shook his head once more, with a sigh. He had to get control of the thoughts, if he could. He reentered the lab, and went back to work...  
Hours passed. Nothing. Not a damn thing, he recollected as he went home. He began merely drawing the cursed image on a piece of paper at one point, continuing for the last few minutes of his workday before getting his tiny amount of sleep. Sleep and progress, two things he had an overwhelming lacking of. Funny, he thought, of how he tried to sacrifice one for the other... Didn't matter. It was late, and he was going home, getting four hours of sleep if he was lucky, and then going back to try and cure what may as damned well be incurable. He didn't dare begin thinking it there, he couldn't; But in private? Could they, really, find a cure before they were dead, or detached from the world, as many countries were becoming? Before he was driven insane by the very thing he was trying to destroy festering in his mind? Would he? His thoughts plagued him into his home. He planned to just pass out, and-  
"Hey." Gene jumped at Morgan's voice, following with a sigh of relief. Morgan laughed, shaking his head, before putting on a face of worry. "Gene, you look absolutely terrible." He shook his head in reply. "No, I can't take a break." "I'm not asking you to. I'm telling you to. You're not going to make progress like this." A shake of the head. "I can't let up. There are-" "People on the line, yeah. ...I don't know if that's true."  
Gene paused. "What are you saying?"   
Morgan took a breath; "I... I went back to Saudi Arabia. The cave was different. There were... Inscriptions. New-ish? They talked about everything that happened, all the phenomenon, but also... That people didn't truly die. They simply became one with the spiral after their death. Gene, think; Is this death? Or is this... Some form of evolution?"  
Gene paused, before putting his head in his hands. "I- I don't know, Morgan. I don't want to believe you, but I do." He paused. "...And what do you expect me to do, believe you?"  
He shook his head. "No, no I don't."  
"I expect you to follow me. Back to the center."


End file.
